Sure, the 45-13 humiliation dealt the Cougars on a cold night in early November of 2023 tells a lot of what happened at LaVell Edwards Stadium, although it was probably even worse than the score would indicate.

The Cyclones thoroughly dominated the course of play, accumulating much more yards of total offense, forcing turnovers and otherwise looking the superior to the Cougars in every single facet. Even what should have been a homefield advantage for the Cougars was flipped the other way, with Iowa State players well-equipped to withstand the typically slick grass at LaVell Edwards Stadium in November while BYU players were slipping all over the field.

Indeed it was the crescendo of BYU’s futility during its inaugural Big 12 Conference football season, with the team proving to have a gaping deficit to make up in order to prove even slightly competitive.

But what a difference two years time can make.

Since the debacle versus Iowa State two seasons ago, the Cougars have made substantial strides. That same 2023 season saw the team prove very competitive versus nationally-ranked Oklahoma and Oklahoma State teams to close out that season before setting out to a breakthrough 11-2 campaign the next season which was topped off with a resounding 36-14 win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.

And BYU has not let up this season, and will enter Saturday’s game versus the Cyclones with a gleaming 7-0 record and a No. 11 national ranking.

“We’ve been committed to just getting bigger and stronger, especially at the offensive line and defensive line,” said BYU Coach Kalani Sitake when asked which specific strides his team has made since 2023’s debacle. “Some of the guys that are still playing had that experience and now know the importance of the offseason and getting ready, and getting bigger and stronger…So we’re a different team than two years ago.”

While BYU will present a much different team this time around, not much has changed for a Cyclone team that has consistently proven themselves as one of the Big 12 Conference’s most solid and consistent performers. Under Coach Matt Campbell, Iowa State has become bowl eligible in seven of the nine seasons he’s been head coach, and looks to be a lock to go bowling this season given the team’s current 5-2 record.

“Iowa State is a well-coached team under Matt Campbell, who has been there for a while,” Sitake appraised. “He’s done a great job with his coaches. His play-callers have been there for a decade, too, so it’s a really good matchup. They’re a well-coached team, and I’ve watched them on film and they do all the little things right.”

Sitake’s description matches up almost perfectly with the stats the Cyclones provide. Both offensively and defensively Iowa State ranks near the middle of the national pack in most statistical categories, but rare is the occasion that it will beat itself with solid execution on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football.

Leading the way for the Cyclones offensively will be quarterback Rocco Becht, who provided an efficient 15-23 passing effort in 2023’s route for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Becht has largely proven to be as steady this season as he was two years ago while making some strides with his ability to conduct Iowa State’s offensive attack effectively.

Helping out Iowa State’s cause offensively will be the return of top running back Chase Hansen off of injury, who will pair with Abu Sama in fielding a veteran and capable offensive backfield.

Defensively it’s largely the same story for the Cyclones, although the loss of their two starting cornerbacks to injury may provide a window for some big gains for the Cougars through the air. And on the ground the Cougars look resurgence and capable in providing a strong attack, with LJ Martin having gained well over 100 yards in consecutive wins over Arizona and Utah.

Overall, it looks to be a competitive matchup, much unlike what was seen when both teams squared off two seasons ago.

“I like the progress of our program right now,” Sitake concluded. “But Iowa State is coming off of a bye, so they’ve had some extra time to prepare for us. It’s not going to be an easy task, but we knew going into it that it would be the position we’d be in and we’ve had the opportunity to really improve. And we have a bye after this, so we can put everything we can into it…But it’s all easier said than done…Iowa State is a great team.”